1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique capable of associating an image forming apparatus with a printer driver and distributing a printer driver to a client apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
As conventionally known, a PUSH mode chiefly performed by a management server and a PULL mode chiefly performed by a client are usable as a method for causing the management server to install a driver (i.e., a device driver) suitable for a device accessible via a network to the client.
In the following description, the technical terminology “device” represents an image forming apparatus, such as a printing apparatus (e.g., a single function printer (SFP) or a multifunction peripheral (MFP)) or a scanner apparatus. Further, the technical terminology “driver” represents, for example, a printer driver capable of forming print data to cause an intended device to perform printing when a user of a client has instructed a printing operation via an application installed thereon.
For example, as discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-203929, in the PUSH mode, when a management server distributes a driver to a client, the management server generates a task including information about a client as distribution destination and association information correlating the driver with a corresponding device. The client executes the task to realize installation of the distributed driver.
In the PULL mode, the user of the client accesses the management server and selects an arbitrary association from an association list. Then, the user downloads related launcher software and installs an intended driver on the client.
The above-described PUSH mode and ordinary PULL mode are collectively referred to as “operation mode.” Further, the method for installing a driver in the PUSH mode is referred to as “ordinary driver remote installation processing.” The PULL mode is referred to as “ordinary driver download processing.”
Further, the technical terminology “association” represents information including device information and driver information. The “association” conformation is, for example, [1:1], [X:1], [1:Y], and [X:Y], which represent a relationship between the number of devices and the number of drivers that are mutually associated.
Further, the technical terminology “device information” includes information, such as a printing apparatus name, a product name, a location, and an internet protocol (IP) address, usable to identify and select an arbitrary device from a plurality of devices to cause the selected device to perform printing.
Further, the technical terminology “driver information” includes information, such as a driver name, a printer name, a version, and a language (e.g., page description language (PDL) to be used), usable to identify and select an arbitrary driver from a plurality of drivers.
As described above, when the device information and the driver information are associated beforehand and if a driver is distributed to a client, it is feasible to install an appropriate driver on the client by selecting the created association without designating a device and a driver in each case.
However, according to the conventional technique, the following issue arises with respect to the operability in selecting an association that correlates the operation mode with the association conformation, as well as installation result of the driver.
In a case where the [1:Y] type association that associates one device with a plurality of drivers is developed into and displayed as [1:1] type associations, a user needs to perform a complicated operation to select <Y> pieces of associations successively. Further, in a case where the [X:1] type association that associates a plurality of devices with one driver is directly displayed to let a user select a desired one, <X> pieces of printer (logical printers) are generated on the client. As described above, according to the conventional device-driver association technique, there is room for further improvement with respect to the operability in the association selection.